A fruit is a ripened ovary of a female flower. The major types of fruits are aggregate fruits, berries, drupe fruits, false berries, hesperidium fruits, and multiple fruits. Aggregate fruits consist of many tiny seed bearing fruits combined in a single mass (e.g., blackberries). Berry fruits are derived from a single ovary, and contain one or more seeds (e.g., bananas). Drupe fruits are single seed fruits that develop entirely from a single ovary (e.g., plums). False berry fruits consist of many seeded fruits that result from fusion of an ovary and receptacle (e.g., cranberries). Hesperidium fruits include citrus fruits, which develop from a compound ovary into a many seeded, multi-sectional fruit in a tough skin. Multiple fruits are derived from the ovaries and receptacles of multiple flowers on a common base (e.g., pineapple).
Fruits typically contain saccharides (monosaccharides, oligosaccharides and polysaccharides), fiber, various macro and micronutrients, vitamins, and vitamin factors. Many fruits also contain phytochemicals such as phenolic compounds (e.g., flavonoids), which are known to prevent and treat certain disease conditions. Flavonoids also can act as antioxidants that have free radical scavenger properties.
Extracts of fruits and herbs have been used in cosmetic products to provide a perception of naturalness and to take advantage of the benefits of the phytonutrients and phytochemicals contained therein. Such products often contain only insignificant amounts of the extracts, due to the high cost of extracts and in order to minimize discoloration of the finished products. Typically, fruit and herbal extracts are diluted with carriers such as water, alcohol, propylene glycol or butylene glycol. Commercial fruit or botanical extracts generally contain minimal amounts of phytochemicals and other nutrients due to their dilution, long extraction processes, and extended storage time before customers utilize the product.
The use of intact fruit pieces or dried fruit pieces in skin care compositions has not been commercially feasible. Fruit pieces can be hard to process, can potentially cause microorganism contamination, can be difficult to handle during production, often are not aesthetically attractive, can cause suspension problems, and can leave residue on the skin.